I Became The Academy’s Joker Character

Chapter 39

—–CROW—– 

A gate leading to the was open within the avatar’s mouth.  I had been shortsighted. He was even more cunning than I thought. Even though he had said he would use any means necessary, I had assumed his consciousness would still reside within the avatar.  He hadn’t spoken to distract me, but to conceal the fact that he had already left the avatar.

“Crazy…”

“Indeed, the thirst for victory is enough to drive one mad.”

Anyone with common sense wouldn’t stand near the gate to the , even if they opened it. It was obvious. A gate doesn’t only work one way. If Tia bombarded the gate, the entire area would become a sea of fire.  In fact, Tia was probably gleefully unleashing magic towards the locations where the gates had opened.

“Aren’t you afraid of the Dragon Emperor?”

If Tia appeared here, the [Hades King] standing before the gate would be reduced to dust. It was as if the [Hades King], who should have been in the safest place, had willingly thrown himself into danger.  His audacious decision sent chills down my spine.

“One cannot achieve victory by cowering in safety out of fear.”

The [Hades King], Thanatos, was a monster comparable to Tia, even if not quite her equal. His mere presence unleashed a soul-shredding magical energy.

“Ugh…”

I couldn’t stop thinking. Even if I had fallen into a trap, it wasn’t over yet. I couldn’t afford to lose focus. There had to be a way. Yes, I just had to close the gate.  The [Hades King] was critically injured. Eleanor’s attack, which had dyed everything with its color, had definitely landed.  The wound running across his shoulder and chest proved it.  The [Hades King] couldn’t move yet.

“Hmm.”

I took another step forward. The gate, not prepared in advance, was still unstable. That was why he had provoked me, trying to shake my resolve.  If I could inflict even a small amount of damage now, I could close the gate.  But with magical energy still swirling around, ordinary magic wouldn’t even reach it.  Nothing had changed. There was only one thing I could do.  Get as close as possible.  And then, shake the gate.  But…

“Can you do it?”

“…”

I was afraid.  Only about 3 meters remained.  If I got a little closer, even intermediate magic could destroy the gate.  But if I went any further, my body wouldn’t be able to withstand it.  So, there was only one option.

[Mana Dominator Lv. 2]

“I have no choice but to rely on luck.”

I didn’t ask for much.  At this distance, any high-level magic would do.

[Gust Piercing]

But despite my wish, what materialized was a wind-attribute intermediate magic.

“Damn it…”

[Gust Piercing], which fired a spear of wind, didn’t even reach the gate’s vicinity. It dissipated into a gentle breeze before even touching the magical energy. I felt like collapsing in despair, but nothing had changed.  The idea of relying entirely on luck was flawed from the start.  I just had to keep moving forward.

“Phew…”

My breath grew ragged.  The pain and the sensation of death made my vision blur. This was suicide. If I took one more step forward, I would die. I could still turn back.  I could run away.  Did I have a reason to go this far for Marie?

-The sky here is clear and beautiful.

Even if Marie died, the future wouldn’t change.  She was destined to die anyway.  Even if I retreated now, I had already gained enough.

-The clouds, the sun, and most of all, that clear blue sky is so beautiful… Yes, that’s why I was looking at it.

Trying to obtain everything was nothing but arrogance. Yes, that was true, but…

-It’s something that wasn’t there where I lived.

“I am an arrogant person.”

Then, that reason was enough for me to engrave it deep in my heart.  I would obtain everything.  I acted as soon as the thought crossed my mind. There was no more time to waste. The [Hades King] was right.  I couldn’t achieve anything by cowering in fear.

“That reason is enough.”

I took a step forward.  And the moment I did, I was engulfed in intense pain, and my vision went black.

[Erosion Blade 40%]

* * *

“Don’t forget.”

Along with the searing pain, I felt fragments of memories flooding in again.  I saw Oz standing alone in the middle of a battlefield littered with corpses.

“Even if you forget everything else, never forget that one thing.”

As if giving himself a pep talk, Oz was muttering something.

“What my purpose was.”

Muttering so, Oz began to draw a formation in the air. The formation, unlike anything I had seen before, seemed incomplete.

“So don’t stop challenging.”

The formation was complete. Yes, it was complete. But even though it had taken a perfect form, something was missing.

“Don’t get lost in your purpose.”

And I already understood what was missing. Proof that Oz had challenged and reached the end.

“Don’t forget why we’ve endured all of this.”

『This is not a plea.』

As if it were natural, I began to chant a short verse.  The image of Oz standing in the wasteland was already gone. But the formation Oz had drawn in his memory was now imprinted in the air.

『I declare to you, who sits upon the arrogant throne.』

All I could see was the swirling magical energy and, beyond it, the [Hades King] looking at me with amusement. Oz’s memory fragments began to melt into the present.

『The beginning is set, but the end is not.』

Magic and divine art.  Painting and song. I drew the formation and sang to the world simultaneously.  What materialized was only an intermediate-level magic. But within it was the will of one who had studied and strived to reach the level of a god. The fruit of one who had challenged a god.

『Know that fate has been twisted.』

Divine Magic

[Another Savior]

Divine arts using divine power held absolute advantage against magical and demonic energy, but they rarely had offensive effects.  Even if they did, their power was generally low, so they weren’t often used unless against the dead or demons.  But magic tended to be more destructive.

“Not only martial arts, but now swordsmanship too?”

What was born was a miracle, a wonder wrought by one who had challenged the divine and reached its edge. A power with the properties of divine power, but closer to magic in its destructive force.  A two-meter divine magic greatsword began to materialize above my hand.  Before it was even fully formed, I grabbed the hilt with both hands and charged.  Since it was a sword made of magic, it felt weightless.

“Phew…”

I didn’t know how to wield a sword. Since it was magic, simply swinging it should be enough, but my body naturally took a stance.

“Have I been dyed too?”

The image of Eleanor swinging her sword flashed through my mind.  Crude, yet the product of Eleanor’s unwavering effort.  I extended one leg forward, bending it, and raised the sword high above my head.

“Hah!”

And the moment the sword fully materialized, I swung it down, following the trajectory from my memory.

*Crack!*

The greatsword of light shattered the gate. Originally, intermediate magic couldn’t close the gate.  But divine power, with its opposing nature to demonic energy, was a different story. They repelled and interfered with each other upon contact.

“…Impossible. How can a mere human?!”

“Shut up and get lost.”

The gate to the closed.

“A human cannot reach the realm of the divine…”

*Crack!*

The blade that had destroyed the gate then shattered the staff Marie was holding, the lock itself. And the moment the staff broke, I instinctively knew.

“Ha! It was worth the effort.”

The key the [Hades King] held was split in two.

* * *

Marie observed Oz, who had collapsed from exhaustion in front of her. She saw the Saintess repeatedly trying to approach Oz, only to stumble and fall. She saw Noah, who had collapsed after pushing herself to the limit for her sake.  She saw Lucia checking on Noah.  She saw the [Fist King], leaning against something in the distance, quietly observing the situation.

“Ah…”

There were so many things.  Until now, she had refused to blend in with her surroundings. Born in the , Marie was as good as dead while alive.  When she was in the , she always looked down at the ground, and when she came to Scientia, she only looked up at the sky.

‘So this is what it was like…’

Her eyes were filled with tears, so she couldn’t see anything clearly, yet she felt like she could see more than usual.  There was no longer a reason to turn away from the world.  She had gained freedom.

“How do you feel?”

At that moment, she heard a voice calling her. Oz Quabadis.  The one who had broken her shackles spoke to her with difficulty, while receiving treatment from the Saintess.  The voice, which had been filled with anger and arrogance just moments ago, now sounded gentle.

“What…?”

Marie replied curtly. She didn’t know why she was acting this way.  She should have bowed her head and expressed her gratitude immediately.  But she couldn’t.

“I asked how it feels to be free from your shackles.”

But Oz didn’t seem to mind her attitude.  That annoyed her somehow, but Marie suppressed the ungrateful feeling and spoke.

“Well…”

How should she answer?  Marie looked up at the sky. The sky of the living world, which she had thought so blue, clear, and beautiful, no longer looked beautiful.  There were more beautiful things around her now.  Realizing this, Marie understood how precious a gift she had received.

“It’s not bad, I guess.”

A lie.  In truth, she felt so elated she couldn’t express it, but Marie lied.  Like the contrary frog in the fairy tale, she couldn’t be honest.

“Is that so? Well, life isn’t usually that dramatic.”

“Huh…?”

Marie looked down at Oz, who was wearing a wistful smile, with a dumbfounded expression.

‘What is he saying? Is there some hidden meaning I’m not getting?’

It was a baffling statement. She couldn’t understand why Oz, who lived a life more dramatic and intense than anyone else, would say such a thing.  It was the same for Marie.  Her life had changed dramatically in this very moment.

“So, what’s your answer?”

“Huh?”

“Have you thought about it?”

“…No.”

Honestly, she hadn’t had time to think about such things.  How could she think about anything else when someone had risked their life for her right before her eyes?

“Then think about it now. Before Arieta finishes healing me.”

“…”

At Oz’s words, Marie desperately racked her brains.  It was just a simple greeting.  When he asked for her reply, she was troubled, but not lost in thought.  Because she thought she would never have to answer.

‘How should I respond to someone who risked their life for me?’

That was the biggest problem.  It was heavy. Considering Oz’s persistence in wanting to hear her reply, she didn’t think she could simply respond with a casual greeting.  She knew it was an excuse, but she also knew that this was the conclusion of this whole affair.

‘Conclusion…?’

The word suddenly struck Marie, and she felt uneasy.  She didn’t want a conclusion.  Her relationship with Oz was merely that of acquaintances. Oz had risked his life to fight the [Hades King] for her, but she had done nothing for him.  And all Oz wanted was a reply to his greeting.  So, what would happen if that greeting marked the end? Wouldn’t their relationship revert back to that of mere acquaintances who exchanged greetings?

‘I don’t want that…’

Marie stopped pulling at her hair, took a deep breath, and looked at Oz, who was being healed.  She didn’t know.  She didn’t know what kind of person he was.  She still didn’t know what kind of person he was, the one who had risked his life for her.

“Ah, the answer. Have you thought about it?”

As if sensing her gaze, Oz spoke to her again.  Marie met his gaze.  There was a color more beautiful than the sky she loved.

“No.”

Actually, it wasn’t that she didn’t have an answer in mind.  She had planned to start with a simple greeting and then express her gratitude.  But she stopped.

“I can’t think of anything.”

“What…? You were thinking about it, right?”

“I’m too tired.”

“Ah, well… I guess so. You must have been through a lot.”

“Right, I’m so tired today. You must be tired too, so why don’t you rest?”

Marie turned her back so Oz wouldn’t see through her lie.  Not yet. She couldn’t give him an answer yet.  That was the only thread connecting her and Oz right now.

“So, next time.”

Marie made an excuse.

“If I still can’t think of anything by the time we meet again, then the time after that.”

She created opportunities to interact with him again and again.

“So…”

Next time.  Until now, that word hadn’t existed for Marie.  For her, who could have died at any moment by the [Hades King]’s command, the word ‘next time’ was something she couldn’t utter lightly.  But now, it was different.  The words ‘next time’ held anticipation.

“Let’s exchange greetings again, many times.”

“Yes… Next time…”

Oz fainted after saying those words.  He must have been exhausted from breaking through the [Hades King]’s magical energy. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion but mental fatigue as well, so he fell asleep, entrusting himself to Arieta’s comforting divine power.

“Thank you, Oz.”

For the first time since she was born into death, Marie felt anticipation.  She, who had always worn an expressionless, despairing look, smiled.  That expression was still a secret from the one who saved her.

—–CROW—– 

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